


A Mistake So Simple, a Result So Devistating

by kittyface27



Category: One Piece
Genre: Big mistake, Drama, Medication, Monkey D Luffy - Freeform, Other, Sickness, Tragedy, chopper messes up, crew - Freeform, injured, insane, luffy gets sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 01:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14009646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27
Summary: Chopper has made the worst mistake he could have possibly make, and it has to do with Luffy's health. Can Luffy's deteriorating mind be saved? Or will he be gone forever?





	A Mistake So Simple, a Result So Devistating

Everyone was having a fun time in the Fishman palace, eating and partying to their heart’s content. Luffy was stuffing his face with as much meat as he could. He was grateful he wasn’t a hero so he could have all the meat he wanted. But he needed to talk to Chopper in private. He didn’t want any of the rest of the crew to know what he was going to say to Chopper. It would be embarrassing to say the least. They didn’t need to know how broken he still was from Marineford. He had been doing alright by himself on the island he trained on for months after Raleigh had left. He had the PTSD flashbacks but he was by himself with no risk of scarring or worrying anyone else. But now he was once again going to share a confined space with eight other people. He did miss them, but he was afraid they’d find out about his instability and ask questions. He dreaded the eventual questions.

Awhile later, everyone was shopping for what they needed, like food, supplies for Usopp’s weapons, cola, supplies if the Sunny got damaged, and clothes for the girls. For once, instead of wandering around and exploring the rest of the island he hadn’t seen with Zoro or someone else, he found Chopper going off to a pharmacy and walked over. It was lucky the island sold human medications.

Chopper was surprised to see Luffy coming towards him from behind. Luffy looked strange. He looked embarrassed, something Chopper had never seen before. “What’s wrong Luffy?” he asked. Luffy bit his lip and fidgeted, a bit uncomfortable, before speaking quietly.

“I wanted to ask if you could get me some... medication,” he asked vaguely, not looking straight at Chopper.

“Medication? For what?” Chopper questioned, confused. Luffy never took medicine. He hated it. He had even accidentally sent Chopper flying into a wall because of that. He apologized profusely to the crying reindeer. After that incident, Chopper only gave Luffy medicine when it was absolutely necessary. So what was so serious that Luffy would ask for meds?

“I have… nightmares and flashbacks from - from… Marineford. I was wondering if you could help me. Like, stay asleep and not remember stuff all the time,” he finished quickly. His face was red with shame, shame that he still hadn’t moved on from what happened. Two years ago seemed like yesterday to Luffy sometimes. He didn’t want anyone to see him screaming himself awake in the middle of the night. It would be a disgrace for a crew to see their captain like that. Well, that’s what Luffy thought. He had been fine on his training island after Raleigh since he could scream and cry all he wanted without anyone but the animals seeing him.

“Oh, of course. I can get you something. Can I ask how long you’ve had flashbacks and nightmares?” Inside Chopper wanted to cry. He didn’t know what happened to Luffy after their horrible separation, but it must have been bad if Luffy had PTSD. He’d learned how to help people with PTSD, but he knew Luffy wasn’t one to talk about his emotions or failures with someone else.

“Since the war,” Luffy said simply. Chopper nodded and said once again, rather happily, that of course he could help him and if Luffy ever wanted to talk about it to Chopper, he’d listen.

“Don’t tell anyone else, please.” Chopper frowned at Luffy’s panicked expression when he thought of what the others would think.

“I don’t think they’d think of you being weak or anything, but I won’t tell anyone else. I promise,” Chopper finished with a smile. Luffy returned the smile and said he was going back to the ship. Chopper frowned once Luffy’s back was turned and continued on his way to the pharmacy. He had trained for learning about mental illnesses too, and thought that was a good call. But he would not share Luffy’s situation if Luffy didn’t want him to. Chopper couldn’t help but notice during their conversation that Luffy absentmindedly scratching his mysterious scar.

Chopper entered the pharmacy and looked for what he neede, and picked up a bottle of strong, fast acting sedatives that relax the body and make you sleepy while quieting your thoughts on his way out. He didn’t see the specific type of pills in tiny text near the bottom of the label. He picked up the Zoan version instead of Paramecia by accident. A big mistake.

 

After leaving Fishman Island and reaching the surface, when they weren’t fighting unexpected and intense weather, they partied and some spoke about where they went during their separation. The only ones who didn’t elaborate where they went were Sanji, Zoro and, of course, Luffy. No one asked about Luffy’s time, but Usopp asked the the other two in the Monster Trio. Sanji just said he was in hell, while Zoro grunted and didn’t give any other response. Everybody was dying to ask Luffy and Zoro about their new scars. Usopp asked Zoro, who once again grunted instead of answering. Even Luffy was curious about Zoro’s scar, but if Zoro didn’t ask him about his new scar, then Luffy wouldn’t ask Zoro. He obviously didn’t feel like telling anyone.

Zoro was too slow to tell Usopp not to ask Luffy about his mysterious scar. Luffy froze and widened his eyes, trying his best to stay looking normal as he remembered Ace’s burned body. After a few seconds he said with a tight voice, “It was nothing. Just spilled some hot stuff on myself.” Everyone knew it was bullshit, but it was true it looked like some sort of burn, though Luffy had healed countless burns. What could have caused this scar? It looked like it had been a painful wound. No one but Chopper noticed his hands were shaking after he not-so-discretely sat on both.

Chopper looked sadly at Luffy and caught his eyes and motioned to go inside. It was near bedtime, time for his new medication. He and Chopper left without saying anything, startling some of the crew. Robin for once, though she was curious, didn’t spy on their conversation.

“Here are the pills. They should help you sleep without any dreams and if you take a half of one during the day, it will help calm you and hopefully stop the flashbacks,” Chopper explained kindly. Luffy took the pills and thanked him before swallowing them with a paper cup of water Chopped gave him.

While the reindeer doctor and his patient were in the interior of the ship, Nami scolded Usopp for bringing up anything having to do with Luffy’s separation unless he brought it up himself. Everyone looked disapporvingly at the sniper, causing him to flush in shame and embarrassment, though everyone else had been dying to ask that question.

Zoro sighed and closed his eye. He wished he had been with Luffy in his hardest time. They all felt the same but none of them voiced it.

By the time Luffy and Chopper came out, the deck was clean of the food and drinks. It was late and dark out and everyone was getting ready for bed. Sanji was on watch tonight, so everyone else bid each other good night and went to bed. Luffy had a dreamless sleep thanks to his new medication.

The next morning, when Luffy woke up, he immediately wanted the medication again. He felt like crap. His mind felt foggy, more so than usual, and he felt a little dizzy. Everything had a strange color, but he didn’t say anything about it because he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. He knew he didn’t feel good but couldn’t figure out why because his head was filled with fog.

He all but fell out of his bunk and stumbled to his feet. He caught himself and walked out of the men’s room and towards the kitchen to get some food, convinced he’d be fine if he just ate something. Outside looked a bit strange. The grass was a brighter green, but through his hazy mind, he got used to the colors as if it’d been like since they got the Sunny.

“Hey Sanji,” he said, sounding sleepy as he entered the kitchen.

“What do you want?” the cook asked, sounding irritated, like the interaction always had been. It was nice to know some things don’t change. Luffy had woken up before everyone else despite the medication from the discomfort, so he was hungry earlier than usual. So even if Sanji did give him food, it’d be something raw since Sanji got up not too long ago as well and hadn’t finished cooking anything.

“I’m hungry,” Luffy said simply. Sanji told him he’d have to wait until breakfast irritably. “But I don’t feel good,” Luffy whined.

“That’s you usual excuse. Go away and wait until breakfast is ready,” Sanji told him forcefully.

“But-” Luffy started to protest and convince him he really didn’t feel good, but he was literally kicked out of the kitchen and onto the grassy deck, hitting his head on the mast as he flew out. He then sat up, his head clearer. He still felt a little crappy, but he could think clearly again and the colors around him turned back to normal.

When everyone else woke up, no one but one crewmember noticed Luffy’s sleepy demeanor as he spoke like usual and tried stealing everyone else’s food.

The rest of the day was completely normal for everyone but Luffy. He did his usual activities, playing with Chopper and Usopp, bothering Sanji for food and being denied and bugging Franky about new inventions. But his head had become foggy again after breakfast. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong again, even though his vision was a bit blurred and sound was strange. Everyone sounded like they were in a tunnel. He didn’t have any flashbacks and bad memories, so he was thinking the meds were helping him.

By bedtime, he had taken the relaxing pills for the second time and fell asleep quickly, a dreamless sleep again.

Waking up was harder than it had been the day before. He didn’t just stumble, he fell on his face loudly with an “oof!”, waking up Zoro and Brook, who were closest to his bunk.

“You ok Luffy?” Zoro asked, still sleepy.

“Ok,” Luffy responded simply and wandered out of the room. Zoro was surprised with his reply. It didn’t really fit as an answer for his question, but Zoro was just convinced Luffy was sleepy and messed up.

Brook frowned and tried going back to bed. Luffy was acting strange yesterday. The others hadn’t noticed, but Brook had. He was sleepy all day. No one knew Luffy was taking any medication but Chopper, so they had no way of knowing if something was wrong. Brook tried to not make a big deal out of it. Maybe Luffy just didn’t feel good. But that also seemed wrong since Luffy seemed to never get sick. Well, there was a first time for everything. Brook gave a mental shrug and fell back to sleep.

 

Breakfast was strange to say the least. Luffy kept spilling his drink on himself because he was so focused on watching the air around the room with wide eyes of wonder. He was seeing dots flying everywhere, exploding into mini fireworks. He was swaying a bit in his chair. He was acting asif he drank all of Zoro’s alcohol. When Zoro asked (more like accused) that Luffy had gotten into his stash, Luffy just mumbled a breathy “no”.

“Luffy, what are you looking at?” Nami asked irritably but also worried. It was irritating her that he kept spilling things on himself and making a mess, but he also looked a bit crazy. She knew Luffy didn’t drink, but he was acting weird. Like Brook, she was convince everyone had off days. But as he spilled the rest of his drink down his front, Nami grew more impatient.

“Yeah…” he breathed out an answer as he continued to stare at the pretty fireworks. The exploded into butterflies that flew through the wall and to the outside. He swayed in his seat for a moment before he Luffy knocked his plate over and ran outside to chase them like a child. The crew watched the door slam closed behind him with shock. What the hell was that?

Robin, Zoro and Sanji frowned. Something was off. Chopper hadn’t made the connection since there was no reason Luffy would be acting strange because of the medication. Luffy had taken this type of drug long ago and had been fine when he had nightmares before Water 7, shouting about a flower.

The others in the Monster Trio and Robin walked out onto the deck and watched in concern as Luffy chased the things he saw in the air, jumping and trying to catch them. He was being affected quickly by his medication that wasn’t safe for him to take. The colors were back to being vibrant and bright enough to cause some people to have migraines.

The three knew they should be very concerned when Luffy lost interest in the imaginary butterflies and turned towards the three, staring at Zoro as tears leaked out of his eyes. He sprinted over and jumped up and clinged onto Zoro, wrapped around his chest. Zoro was surprised to say the least. He stood there awkwardly before his eyes widened in concern at what Luffy said next.

“Ace! I missed you so much!” he cried and tightened his grip around Zoro. Zoro looked shocked at the other two as Luffy continued to cry against the swordsman’s chest. Then Luffy began to speak as if Zoro was talking to him. “I know! That one time when Sabo talked to Dadan like he was staying and she didn’t do anything! Then there was this one rock I punched when you left and that chocolate cake was yummy,” Luffy continued to talk animatedly, his words making no sense to the three strawhats watching him with concern.

Then in the middle of a sentence, Luffy looked up at Zoro and jumped off of him. “Where’d Ace go?” he asked, sounding confused and looking around the deck. He didn’t find it weird that Ace had suddenly turned into Zoro.

“Ace!” he called, walking around the deck in tight circles. “Where’d you go?!”

The other strawhats had come out when Luffy started yelling for Ace and stared at him in confusion. Why was he walking around in circles? Zoro kept watching Luffy as the three walked to the others.

“Something’s wrong with that idiot. He thought Zoro was Ace.” Sanji paused to take a drag of his cigarette. “Chopper, can you look over him?”

“Yeah,” Chopper said and walked over to Luffy. He approached him slowly, who was still walking in circles. “Luffy?” he said slowly.

“Oh hey Chopper, what’s up?” he said, completely forgetting he was looking for his dead brother and smiling down at Chopper with slightly unfocused eyes.

“Do you feel ok?” he asked. He didn’t want to tell him he was acting strange if he didn’t know himself.

“Yeah! Why? Ace came back! I don’t know where he went though. I bet he had to go to the bathroom,” Luffy said and then laughed. The laugh was a bit creepy and maniacal.

“Luffy, Ace isn’t here,” Chopper told him cautiously.

“Of course he is. Didn’t you see him? Sanji and Robin saw him. I’m glad Robin got to meet him. She even told him all about her past. I think they’ll be friends,” Luffy exclaimed happily.

The crew looked at Robin as she stared at the scene frowning is concern.

“Did you really say that?” Usopp asked quietly. Sanji was the one to answer.

“None of us said a word,” he said quietly. Luffy continued to babble words about Ace and Robin’s Devil Fruits and that Robin’s was a Logia and Ace was a Paramecia.

Before Chopper could ask Luffy any more questions, he suddenly he collapsed and started screaming bloody murder. His whole body shook and his arms and legs were twitching like they couldn’t move. The crew ran to him and were asking him what was wrong as Zoro held Luffy’s shoulders down. He continued to scream for a good five minutes straight. Chopper couldn’t decide whether to sedate him or not. Before he finally decided Luffy needed rest, the captain woke up and gave one short laugh.

“Well that was a scary dream!” he shouted happily. Zoro asked what his dream was. It sounded like a terrible dream based on his screaming.

“Oh when I gave up ten years of my life in Impel Down,” he said simply with a smile. “Man that poison hurt!”

Everyone held their breath. Luffy wasn’t himself at the moment, it could be just a hallucination. They hoped it was. But it was a pretty specific dream… Zoro gritted his teeth and Sanji bit into his cigarette. Luffy sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

Chopper looked horrified and ran to the infirmary to get Luffy his relaxing medicine, not knowing it’d just make things worse. He split one in half and brought it to Luffy with a small paper cup full of water.

“Candy? Thank’s Chopper!” Luffy said and reached for the pill.

“Don’t chew it Luffy, swallow it whole,” Chopper insisted. Luffy frowned. How could he taste the candy if he swallowed it whole? But he did what Chopper said anyways. It would take around twenty minutes for it to kick in. Zoro suggested cautiously that Luffy play cards with Usopp, Chopper and maybe Franky.

“Who’s Franky?” Luffy asked, looking like Zoro was crazy. Franky gasped from behind the rest of the crew mates.

“It’s me Luffy, your shipwright. I built the Sunny we’re standing on,” he said rather desperately.

“Ah, you built the Merry? She’s a good ship. It looks like she got bigger. Thanks!” Luffy shouted. Franky’s face fell, so he agreed that he had built the Merry. It made him almost as upset he forgot the Sunny than he felt for Luffy forgetting him altogether.

“Let- let’s play cards, Luffy,” Usopp stuttered, trying his best to act normal. Luffy happily agreed, so Usopp ran to get the cards.

They played go fish. Well, they would have if Luffy was looking at the right side of the cards. “Five,” he said. Chopper played along and gave him a five.

“Ace,” Chopper said.

“Where? He was here earlier. I wonder if he fell asleep,” Luffy said, taking what Chopper said the wrong way and looking around.

“No, Luffy, the card. Ace is also considered one,” Usopp said sadly. Luffy nodded and gave Chopper the card he thought was an ace.

They continued trying to play the game for a while, though Luffy’s hallucinations were making it a bit difficult. He randomly start babbling about laughing mushrooms, which Chopper knew were basically drugs. When had he taken laughing mushrooms? They’re really bad for you!

Sanji had brought the three their lunch while they were on the deck. “How are you feeling Luffy?” he asked as he handed him a plain leg of meat.

“I have a really good hand,” he said happily, not noticing the sad look passing over the cook’s face when he saw Luffy’s cards were backwards. Sanji forced a smile and told him he was lucky he was winning and walked back into the kitchen.

The three ate their meals (Chopper and Usopp had sandwiches) outside while they played cards. It was hard pretending the game was working right. After lunch, Luffy stopped playing abruptly and shouted out the name “Sabo!” and dropped his cards and ran across the deck and up the stairs. Zoro discretely followed him, having watched them play while he pretended to sleep. He was irritated he couldn’t sleep with one eye open anymore.

He nodded to Chopper, who gave him a concerned look. Zoro followed Luffy’s voice until he found him sitting on the wooden deck near the back of the ship talking to the air, to someone named Sabo. Who was Sabo? Luffy seemed pretty happy he could “see” him. He talked animatedly about a giant tiger and the tattoo Ace had. He started laughing, but it was a more real laugh than earlier, like he was truly happy. It hurt Zoro to see him like this. He listened, sitting near the stairs somewhat protectively for some reason, for hours as Luffy talked to the air. He wondered what Luffy thought this Sabo was saying.

Dinner came and went, Chopper observing Luffy’s behaviour, but coming up with no reason he could be acting like this. He didn’t know if Devil Fruits could affect your brain, so she asked Robin after dinner before bed if she could look in the library. She agreed and decided she’d read it before Luffy woke up tomorrow.

The crew pretended to act like there was nothing wrong with Luffy until they had some answers, so they pretended to see Ace when Luffy said he was in the room. Luffy kept dropping the food on his fork, making a mess again. He didn’t seem to notice he wasn’t eating anything when he brought his bare fork to his mouth. He was able to drink water from a bottle if he had help. Eventually, Nami sat next to him and helped him eat, which was hard since he didn’t stop talking to the air while she tried to get a forkful of food into his mouth.

It took a very long time for him to eat his whole meal and everyone was emotionally drained by their usual bedtime. Robin took watch while she read. She was finding nothing helpful in the book about Devil Fruits.

Chopper gave Luffy his toxic pills, still not noticing that the label said specifically that it was only for Zoan fruit users. Luffy took them when a bottle was forced to his mouth after Chopper put the pills in his mouth while he laughed. Trying to help Luffy like this was tiring and took a long time.

Luffy was first to fall asleep, followed by the younger boys and then Franky and Brook. Zoro and Sanji were last to fall asleep, and first to wake up to Luffy’s episode.

Maniacal laughter filled the room, accompanied with Luffy having what looked like a violent seizure. His eyes were wide open as he laughed while he shook so violently the bunk was creaking like it was going to fall. Zoro grabbed Luffy and tried to keep him still, followed by Sanji who did the same. Usopp fell off his bunk and stumbled to turn on the light. Franky stood out of the way, for once cursing that he was so damn big. Brook stared in fear, and even his skinless face showed the terror he felt.

“Luffy!” Chopper shouted, gasping as he looked at his captain once the lights came on. Luffy was sweaty and pale, his lips blue like he was becoming hyperthermic. His skin was cold to the touch.

“Get him to the bathhouse!” he screamed. Zoro picked up the shaking Luffy as they ran out of the room, onto the deck and back into the interior of the ship. Robin noticed them and bloomed hands on Luffy to help keep him still in Zoro’s arms and she followed them up the stairs. Sanji sprinted ahead and turned on the water so it was hot. The bath was filling horribly slow.

Luffy’s crazy laughter filled the halls and stairway as they sprinted into the bath house. Zoro didn’t bother taking off Luffy’s shorts and just set him in the water, climbing in after and holding him steady as his shaking stopped when the water weakened him. He stopped laughing and instead started to scream.

“Stop it! Rooobbbiiinnn!!!” he screamed, and then Sanji’s name, followed by Usopp’s.

“Nami,” he said weakly. He remained quiet for a moment, before he desperately shouted Zoro’s name and then some sort of battle cry. Then it was suddenly over. The whole time, his eyes were open and staring up at the ceiling.

“Luffy,” Robin leaned over the bath as the water filled above his chest, enveloping his whole body as he was laid down with his head propped up against Zoro’s knees. “Luffy, we’re safe. You’re safe,” she insisted kindly, though she knew he wasn’t safe in his own body. He looked around but didn’t seem to be able to see anyone at the moment. Chopper, Usopp and Franky were all crying as quietly as they could. Luffy just kept getting worse. Sanji sat down in the water next to Luffy’s side and rubbed his limbs in the water, trying to warm him up.

Luffy looked truly insane. He was panting like he was running before his face became even paler so you could see the veins throughout his face and soon his neck and chest and arms and legs as he mumbled about some sort of flower.

“It’s like he’s on drugs,” Robin observed as Luffy quieted, but was still breathing heavily.

“Drugs?” Chopper whispered. He gasped and ran out the bathhouse and down the stairs, passing Nami running up but no one noticed him leaving.

She gasped when she saw how Luffy looked. He looked at her, eyes hazy, finally noticing others in the room, and said, “Makino, Grandpa left me again…”

They were all confused about who Makino was and how Garp left him, but Nami played along. “Don’t worry, Grandpa is coming back soon,” she said gently, kneeling down and taking his hand. “Ace is too. He is taking a nap, but I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Nami added kindly.

“And Sabo?”

“Yes, Sabo will be here again also.” Her lower lip trembled as Luffy gave a pained smile and began to seize again, despite being in the water and splashed water everywhere, soaking Zoro and Sanji’s upper bodies. He just stared at the ceiling as his body spasmed.

Chopper was down in the infirmary, panting after how fast he’d sprinted. He grabbed the bottle of medication and gasped when he finally read at the bottom of the label that it was only meant for Zoans. It was  
fault. Luffy was like this because of him! He didn’t want anybody to know, but he had to tell them! How would his family look at him when they realize he got the wrong bottle? Would they trust him as their doctor again? But… maybe if he stopped giving Luffy the medicine he’s get better. He begged the empty space for him to be fine. He didn’t know how he could live with himself if Luffy died by his hand.

He tried to get his crying under control as he walked back to the bathhouse. When he walked in he saw Luffy splashing water everywhere as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Robin looked up when she saw Chopper walking in with something in his hand.

She walked over to him and kneeled in front of him. “What is it Chopper?” she asked kindly but in a bit of a panic as well. Chopper handed her the small bottle.

“He’s been taking this medicine for PTSD and nightmares… but it’s the wrong bottle. I didn’t see that it said it was only for Zoan fruit users. Robin, it’s my fault. Luffy is like this because I was too stupid to not read all of the label. What kind of doctor am I… I’m going to end up killing my patient,” he said quietly, terrified the others would hear.

Robin thought for a moment. “If Luffy makes it, this is a secret between you and me. Everyone makes mistakes. You’ve never made a mistake like this, correct?” she questioned kindly but also sounded firm, like there was no argument with what she said.

“Robin, this is a huge mistake. It’s awful and a disgrace for a doctor to make a mistake that could kill his patient. I can’t be your doctor anymore,” he whispered, still terrified that the others would hear him.

“Stop that. You aren’t leaving this crew,” she said somewhat harshly, pulling him out of his self-hatred. “For now, just don’t give Luffy the pills anymore. That’s all you can do at the moment. We have to hope that Luffy will heal. When has he not?”

Chopper tearfully nodded while Robin took the bottle and discretely opened a window in the back and threw it into the ocean. The proof was gone.

The crew were afraid but also wanted Luffy to sleep. Chopper told them they should let Luffy sleep. Zoro gently rubbed Luffy’s chest comfortingly. These last couple days had been the most stressful and frightening time in his life than he could ever remember.

Luffy eventually fell asleep in the bath, but once the water got cold, Chopper turned into heavy point, much bigger than he was two years ago, and put him on a towel. Usopp was told to go get a new change of clothes, and once he came back, Luffy was changed into shorts and a soft t-shirt. The two women looked away respectfully as Luffy was changed and then put into a fluffy robe. He was carried down the stairs and was told by Robin that he could use her and Nami’s room since the beds were more comfortable and it would be quieter. She and Nami would stay and watch over him.

Zoro and Sanji were reluctant to leave him, but he needed it to be as quiet as it could be. Chopper insisted he’d stay with Nami, Robin and Luffy. Zoro and Sanji tracked water around the ship as they went to change their clothes and put the wet outfits out on the grass.

Luffy slept most of the night quietly, only laughing and seizing once for a few moments before he calmed down and didn’t have anything happen again.

By the morning, Luffy was looking better already. The veins were no longer terribly visible, but he still seemed to be hallucinating. He woke up and started talking to Ace again, not making any impression he knew three real people were in the room with him. He also didn’t notice he was in the women’s room.

Chopper spoke first. “Luffy, are you hungry or thirsty?”

Luffy looked up and seemed to notice he was somewhere he shouldn’t be and with people he didn’t see before. “Meat… juice…” he said. He only seemed to be speaking coherently to Ace and Sabo. He began to stand up to only collapse back on the bed.

“Don’t get up, we can have breakfast in here,” Nami said. It was very apparent she was worried sick over her captain by letting a bunch of guys come in her room and probably make a mess. She got up and gave him a watery smile and left to get the guys and tell Sanji what Luffy wanted.

She walked into the boys room and turned on the lights. Sanji was in the kitchen. She told them all to get up and that Luffy seemed to be doing better than last night’s nightmare so far. They all got up and followed her into the kitchen.

“Sanji, Luffy wants meat and apple juice. We are all eating in me and Robin’s room.” Sanji didn’t even have any reaction to going into the women’s room. He just nodded and began to cook Luffy’s favorite recipe of meat. He made everyone else pancakes, though none of them had a real appetite as they thought of the night before.

It didn’t take long to have everyone’s food cooked and they all went into the spacious women’s room, Nami bringing table clothes to put over the floor and beds.

Luffy was animatedly talking to Ace and Sabo, and Bon Clay was there now. Robin and Chopper were looking sadly at the sick captain. He stopped talking to his imaginary brothers and friend when he smelled food. He turned his head and smiled, still obviously out of it, and tried to eat his food. He was able to hold the meat bone, which Sanji thought would be much easier than a fork and knife and had put the juice in a plastic bottle. He ate it successfully, but was unable to drink the juice, so Robin bloomed an arm on his chest to guide to bottle to his mouth.

Everyone ate quietly as they watched Luffy look around the room, watching an imaginary butterfly. None of them could get last night out of their heads. They had had a terrible night’s sleep and it was good Luffy hadn’t been in there because of Usopp and Franky’s crying, or Brook’s tossing and turning. Zoro and Sanji had stayed quiet, though they were extremely shaken and angry that this happened.

Since Luffy was no longer taking the medication, his PTSD came back made worse by his hallucinations and he’d suddenly start screaming or hyperventilating about Marineford. He even let slip that Ace died protecting him and the word magma over and over while he touched his chest.

Luffy had gradually been getting better over the next week, though he was still very distracted by things that were actually real, like a single blade of grass that moved in the wind, or the waves below them. He also just suddenly stopped talking to people that weren’t there a couple days after Chopper stopped giving him the medication. It was taking a lot longer to heal than it had been to get sick.

He could recognize Franky after a few days and knew that they were on the Sunny and not the Merry. It was difficult for everyone to not basically stalk him everywhere to make sure he didn’t suddenly relapse. Sanji or Zoro insisted one of them be with him at all times, and they even didn’t argue about it.

Luffy was able to play cards the right way eventually and was talking to the others. He was only completely back to normal a week and a half after the pills had stopped. Everyone was confused but thankful that Luffy just suddenly got better, with the exception of Robin and Chopper who knew why.

“I’m sorry that happened,” Luffy said at mealtime a couple days after they deemed him back to normal. “I don’t really remember much. Ace and Sabo were there for a while… but they weren’t. Can you guys tell me what happened? What I don’t remember?”

They didn’t really want to relive wat had happened, but Luffy wanted to know. So Robin explained that he started hallucinating and couldn’t eat. That he didn’t recognize Franky or the ship. That he started having seizures and the crew had to put him in the bath so he didn’t get more sick. Robin left out the gruesome description of his body while he was in the bath.

“I see… Sorry Franky.” Franky waved him off and said it wasn’t his fault. “Thanks for taking care of me. Does anyone know what caused it?”

Everyone in the crew shook their heads. Even Chopper, though he felt terrible lying.

“Can I ask you some things, Luffy?” Nami asked.

“Did I say something stupid?” Luffy asked nervously.

“I just want to know who Sabo and Makino are. You talked about Sabo a lot and thought I was Makino,” she explained.

“Sabo was my other older brother. He died when I was a kid. Makino ran a bar in my home town and took care of me and Gramps was gone.”

Robin sighed, and asked the question that had been bothering her for a while. “Luffy, did you really go to Impel Down?” He paled at the question, but after hearing what he had said, they needed to know.

“Eh… yeah,” he said awkwardly. He had never wanted them to know about that. That he failed to save Ace when he was there. He hoped so much that he hadn’t said anything regarding the poison and the treatment. But apparently he did, because that was what Robin asked next. The room became quiet.

Luffy sighed. “I fought the warden, who had the poison poison fruit. I was dying but got saved by Iva-chan, who was from the revolutionary army. The treatment took… ten years of my life. I couldn’t do anything about it, so there’s no use in getting angry. I would have died otherwise.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Luffy-san?” Brook asked gently, while everyone else was trying their best to not yell at him.

“What’s the point? There’s nothing anyone can do about it now. And you’d all get angry. I mean, look at your faces. You’re obviously pissed.”

The others tried to agree with his words, but were still mad he kept that information from them.

“There’s nothing anyone can do about it anymore, so just let it go please. I don’t… don’t want to talk about it ever again.” He paused and then remembered something. “Chopper can I take that medicine? I don’t remember if I started taking it or not.”

Chopper lied quickly but believably, “No you didn’t start it. I grabbed the wrong bottle so I threw it away. I’ll try and find some more at our next island.”

“Oh ok,” Luffy said simply.

The rest of the day was calm until Usopp called from the crow’s nest that there was an island ahead that was on fire but was also frozen. Luffy got excited and happily told everyone they were on their next adventure.

And so the Straw Hat Pirate’s journey went on.


End file.
